


Just Him and Stevie

by AmyZestyPond



Series: Newsie!Bucky verse [1]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Newsies!: the Musical - Fierstein/Menken
Genre: Alternate Universe, Gen, Pre-Serum Steve Rogers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-01
Updated: 2015-03-01
Packaged: 2018-03-15 17:45:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,213
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3456182
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AmyZestyPond/pseuds/AmyZestyPond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bucky had made a tradition out of buying Steve ice cream twice every year. Once at the beginning of summer when Bucky's clothes are soaked through with sweat from hawkin' headlines to passerby in the sun all day, and again on the Fourth of July for Steve's birthday.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Just Him and Stevie

**Author's Note:**

> Just a short ficlet to start things off for this verse.
> 
> I didn't write it in, but this is supposed to be set in 1899, about a decade or so before Steve's MCU birth. It ties in with the whole Newsies theme which'll be much more prominent in later works.

"Disease Plagues the West!" Bucky screams. "Read all about it!" The June sun beats down on his face, same as it has for the past six hours. Now, summer's really starting, and if he could just sell a few more papes, Bucky might have enough money to get ice cream for him and Steve tonight. He had made a tradition out of buying Steve ice cream twice every year. Once at the beginning of summer when Bucky's clothes are soaked through with sweat from hawkin' headlines to passerby in the sun all day, and again on the Fourth of July for Steve's birthday. "Journal! World! Sun! Getch'yur papes!" He can feel his voice starting to wear thin. He's been screaming since the day started, right before the sun came up. "Plague Ravages the West!"

Hell if he's gonna scream the actual headline - somethin' about a Priest in Chicago - so he made one up. What're they gonna do? Fire him? As long as he can walk, nobody cares what he says. Shoulda made up a better headline, though. Romeo suggested a plague out West, figured some people might have relatives or somethin'. Judging from the number of people walking past him without a glace, not too many. Bucky makes a mental note to stop taking headline suggestions from Romeo.

But then something changes. First it's the lady across the street who hurries over in her obnoxious furs. She says something along the lines of "You poor thing" when she buys her pape which really only serves to confuse Bucky, but he pays no mind as long as he's making money. Then a huddle of men in suits stop, nearly crowding him into the brick of the building he's standin' outside of. They don't say nothing, but Bucky thinks he hears murmurs of "real sickly lookin, huh?" and "damn kid won't live long enough to get a real job." When they're long gone, papes stuffed in their coat pockets, Bucky slumps down against the wall, knees rising to meet his chest. He's still sweating from the heat, probably starting to get dehydrated, but he is almost out of papes. Thank fucking God.

"Doin' alright Buck?" a voice says just above him. That's a voice he knows. That voice belongs to someone who should most definitely not be outside in this heat. Bucky's eyes fly open. "You're not passing out on me, are ya? Cause I'm not sure I can carry you to anywhere with shade." Yep. There's Steve, standing above Bucky and smiling that cocky little shit-eating grin of his. As much as it always makes Bucky smile to see Steve happy like that, that stupid grin has gotten the two of them, and Steve especially, into trouble on too many occasions.

"The hell you doin' here?" he asks, not bothering to push himself up from the ground. How long has he been standing there anyway?

"Helpin' you."

"You can't be here."

"Think I'm doin' fine."

"You're gonna pass out soon as you start walkin'."

"Reckon maybe I'm a better Newsie than even you, Buck."

They go back and forth for a few minutes, Steve teasing Bucky for his laziness, and Bucky insisting that Steve get the hell out of the June heat. Bucky pushes himself off the ground at some point, thinkin' if Steve has to look up to him, maybe he'll listen. _Shoulda known better_ , he thinks when Steve keeps arguing. He even has that dumb grin on his face the whole time, meaning Bucky has to force himself not to give in.

"Stevie, listen to me," he pleads, placing his hands over Steve's scrawny shoulders. "I can barely stand this. Look at me," he gestures to himself, sweat soaked shirt sticking to his skin, hair damp against his forehead. "You'll be just as bad in ten minutes. Less even. Just wait for me at home." He looks into Steve's eyes, praying for him to actually listen for once. "Please."

The corner of Steve's mouth turns up. Bucky knows what was comin' next, but he tries to hold out hope anyway. Just this once. Just this once, he needs Steve not to be so damn stubborn. "So I assume you're gonna sell all those papers on your own?" He raises his eyebrows in an obvious act of defiance. He isn't about to go anywhere Bucky isn't goin'.

"I was doin' fine," Bucky grumbles, scuffing his old, worn out shoes on the cement.

"Sure ya were," Steve full on smiles now. "Just happens ya did better when I showed up." Bucky glares at him, but he knows Steve's right. Steve usually looks even sicker than he actually is and all the old people feel bad for him. They prob'ly all thinks he's about to drop dead from starvation or somethin' if they don' buy a pape from him.

Giving up and slinging his arm over Steve's scrawny shoulders, Bucky steers them both down the block. "Ya, that's 'cause you've almost got the full Newsie package," he comments casually. "Everyone knows the best are blind and mute orphans on the verge of death." Steve stabs his bony elbow into Bucky's rib, but the older boy just laughs. "C'mon, let's sell the last of these papes and I'll getcha some ice cream."

For the next few hours, they wander the streets, occasionally stopping so Steve can pretend to clutch his stomach in pain or lean on Bucky for support. They make a great team. The other Newsies all say hi when Steve and Bucky pass, used to seeing the little blond under Bucky's arm throughout the week. Romeo and a few of the others like teasing Bucky for cheating. Bucky usually ignores them, shrugging because yeah, his sales are better with Steve emphasizing his many illnesses. Steve, though, Steve responds with his usual snark when he hears them, most recently asking Romeo if he ever reads the headlines he sells. That shuts them up pretty quick.

They manage to sell the last pape 'round 6:00, much earlier than Bucky would've done on his own. Bucky smiles down at Steve, overjoyed with the knowledge that he has enough money to spare on a rare treat for his best friend. They hang around the ice cream shop for a few minutes, discussing flavors even though Bucky knows Steve always ends up choosing his favorite anyway. No complaints. Bucky does too. They get ice cream twice a year, so why waste that on something they might not like?

They sit on the curb outside Steve's Ma's place as they savor their treats. Bucky's got chocolate as usual, and Steve's got vanilla. If Steve occasionally dips his spoon into Bucky's cup when he thinks Bucky won't notice, well Bucky never says nothin'. He loves these moments with Steve more than anythin'. Nobody lights up when they tell a story quite like Steve does. Nobody's eyes sparkle quite like Steve's do when he's really happy. Nobody can make Bucky smile quite like his Stevie can.

Bucky wishes this would last forever. No more struggling day to day. No more worrying every day if his best friend isn't gonna wake up 'cause he stopped breathin' or somethin'. No more skipping meals to save money. No more trouble. Just him and Stevie.

**Author's Note:**

> I'm still doing some research on Newsies and slang for the time period so if you see something that seems a little off, just let me know and I'll fix it as best I can :)


End file.
